Caurinus tlagu Sikes & Stockbridge

Sikes, Derek S. & Stockbridge, Jill, 2013, Description of Caurinus tlagu, new species, from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska (Mecoptera, Boreidae, Caurininae), ZooKeys 316, pp. 35-53 : 42-43

Caurinus tlagu Sikes & Stockbridge sp. n.

Holotype.

Male (in UAM), here designated, labeled "USA: Alaska, Prince of Wales Is. Hatchery Ck.4, 30 May-14 June 2010, 55.88433°N, 132.89734°W ± 26m, 82m elev., thinned secondary growth with 18 ft. spacing between trees, pitfall 3, J. Stockbridge, C. Bickford", / "HOLOTYPE Caurinus tlagu Sikes & Stockbridge 2013 UAM:Ento:142986" [red paper]. http://dx.doi.org/10.7299/X7GH9J4M

Paratypes.

36 Specimens (Table 1). The following 17 paratypes will be deposited in the collections indicated: male UAM:Ento:159146, female UAM:Ento:142985, female UAM:Ento:235025 (CAS); male UAM:Ento:229945, female UAM:Ento:235024, female UAM:Ento:229942 (OSAC); male UAM:Ento:235026, female UAM:Ento:203239, female UAM:Ento:203011 (PMJ); male UAM:Ento:167053, female UAM:Ento:229944, female UAM:Ento:235023 (SEMC); male UAM:Ento:217990, female UAM:Ento:221708, female UAM:Ento:159120 (USNM); male UAM:Ento:229943, female UAM:Ento:230091 (MTEC), and the 19 remaining in UAM.

Type Locality.

USA: Alaska, Prince of Wales Is. Hatchery Ck, 55.88433°N, 132.89734°W ± 26m, 82m elev. (Fig. 1, 2A).

Measurements.

Restricted to specimens with retracted genitalia (3 males, 10 females), length, min. - max., mean ± SD: male 1.58-2.02, 1.74 ± 0.24 mm, female 1.64 - 2.00, 1.79 ± 0.13 mm.

Diagnosis.

Circumference of eye of males comprises 31-35 (n=3) ommatidia ( Caurinus dectes males have 38-39, n=3). Scanning electron microscope-level resolution is required to obtain reliable counts (Fig. 4). Female 8th sterna without a median notch (n=10), or with a shallow median notch (n=5) (Fig. 5A, C, 6C, D). Caurinus dectes females have a shallow median notch or a pronounced median notch (Fig. 5B, see also Russell [1979b] fig. 10). This is visible at 40 × and higher magnification.

Description.

Body length 1.5-2.3 mm, flea-like in lateral view, color reddish brown, sparsely pubescent, strongly sclerotized (Fig. 6). Rostrum absent or reduced. Clypeolabral suture present. Clypeus divided into post and anteclypeus. Penultimate maxillary palpomere enlarged and club shaped. Antennal insertion lateral, widely separated. Ocelli absent. Antennae with sixteen antennomeres and a single countersunk sensilla on antennomeres 4, 5, and 6 (Fig. 7). Mandible with two subapical teeth (Fig. 6B). Male forewings extend to end of first abdominal segment, with six bristles (Fig. 8A), hindwings absent. Female forewings pad-like, hindwings absent. Tarsi five segmented, tarsal claws present. Pilosity absent. Abdomen widest at segments 4 and 5, segments 2-6 fused, annular. Male 8th tergum and sternum not fused. Male 9th tergum and sternum not fused. Genitalia normally concealed in both sexes. Male gonostyles flattened, deeply incised (Fig. 8B).

Variation.

One male (UAM:Ento:231726) has 7 bristles on its right wing, as a result of a very small extra basal bristle, and six on its left.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat.

This species is only known from the northern half of Prince of Wales Island within a region about 45 km in size (Fig. 1). It was collected in forest habitat of various stages: old growth, secondary growth (thinned and unthinned), and young clear cuts; in addition to two specimens caught in alpine heath habitat and one in an ecotone of clearcut / secondary forest. The species is not restricted to lowland forests, nor to old growth forests.

Etymology.

"Tlagu, " pronounced “tlu-gu,” is derived from the Alaska Native tribal language Tlingit meaning "ancient, forever" ( Crippen 2013) or "old, from the past" ( Edwards 2009). Bierhorst (1985) provided this elaboration: "Among the Tlingit, for example, there are two kinds of stories, tlagu (of the long ago) and ch’kalnik (it really happened)." We name this species in honor of the place it occurs, its people, and history, in addition to the apparent great age of the genus Caurinus .